The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-12
The Sunday School.
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 20. 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
JUDGMENT AND MERCY.
Matthew xi. 20-30.]
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 20. 1887.
REPRoACHE5.
Matthew xi. 20-30. ]

REPRoACHE5.
Our Lesson contains some observations of
JESUS when contemplating the results of his
public ministry. 1t appears in connection
with his discourse after the interview with
Johns disciples described in the last Lesson,
when he characterized those who rejected
and condemned both himself and John for
opposite reasons, as childish and unreason-
able. But the connection in the Gospel may
be topical rather than historical Luke ap-
pears to give the historical connection, and
places the discourse with which the Lesson
begins at much later period of JESUS min
istry, and in immediate connection with his
instructions to the seventy evangelists whom
he sent out on an extended missionary tour
among the cities of Palestine tx. 1-l6). They
were to proclaim the near approach of Cons
reign, and it was declared that in that day it
would be more tolerable for Sodom than for
the city that refused to receive them and
their message. The rejection of himself and
his heralds suggested to JESUS the Divine
judgments that would surely overtake the
generation that should blindly and stubborn
ly reject the Messiah of COP. The discourse
in Luke. The thought of the unreasonable
conduct of the Jewish rulers toward John
and himself (16-19) would naturally suggest
the kindred fact that even the cities in which
the greater part of his miracles occurred
were still refusing to repent. But whatever
the historical connection and the immediate
occasion of the utterances, they relate to the
fact that the people among whom JESUS min
istered, had generally refused to accept his
teachings, and that he reproached them for
their blind stupidity, declaring their greater
comparative accountability on account of
their higher privileges, having heard his gra-
cious words and witnessed his mighty works.
Similar references and reflections may have
been made by JESUS upon different occasions,
which are reported by the Evangelists.
Three cities are mentioned, wherein most
of his mighty works miracles] were done:"
Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. We
have no account whatever of JESUS miracles
or ministry at the first mentioned place, a
fact explained by the statement of John,
that JESUS performed many signs that are
not written in the Gospe! Xxx. 30). The
place and history of Chorazin are alike un-
known. According to Josephus, who wrote
soon after (about thirty-fve years. our
Lords ministry, there we're over two hun
dred cities and large villages in Galilee, many
of which, and the largest, would naturally
have been situated on the lake and in the
exceedingly fertile valley of Gennesaret.
Bethsaida was fishing town, as its name
implies, and was the home of Peter, Andrew
Ia ohohI i'm OF
both sides of the river Jordan, near the lake
(see map. Here JESUS cured blind man
and others that needed healing; and near
here the five thousand were marvelously fed
at JESUS command MARK viii %; Luke tx
10-21). Capernaum was the home of JESUS
during his Galilean ministry, and many of
his miracles recorded in the New Testament
were wrought here. Tyre and Sidon were
Phoenician commercial cities situated on the
Mediterranean, whose luxurious wickedness
was frequent subject of Old Testament
prophecy Ezekiel xxvi.-xxviii.; and else
where by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel and Amos).
JESUS is said to have visited the region of
these cities and cured native child that WAS
demented xvi. 21-2Sl. This visit of JESUS
to the "borders of Tyre and Sidon" may
have been made before the incident of the
Lesson, according to the record of Luke
Sodom was the principal city of the ancient
plain of the Jordan, near where the Dead
Sea now ia, destroyed in the time of Abra-
ham and Lot by an earthquake. or by the
burning of petroleum wells by lightning, and
in Hebrew history is a conspicuous example
of Divine judgment against wickedness in
the EARTH See Lesson Study, February 81.
JESUS appears to have been deeply moved
with feelings of pity and regret, and it may
be Indignation, when contemplating the
facts and apparent results of his ministry
and that of his disciples, and the inevitable
calamities which would befall his country
men who would reject the offered blessings
of the kingdom of God. He had witnessed
greater faith manifested by Gentiles than by
Israelites who were expecting the Messiah
and to whom he was sent (viii. 10). They
whose privileges were SO great would be held
to stricter accountability than others in the
administrations of the Divine Judgment, in
the crisis of human affairs, when the Mes
siah's kingdom of righteousness and truth
should be manifested with power.
"Alas for you, Chorazln! alas for you,
Bethsaida! for if the powers wrought IN you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would
long ago have reformed, sitting in sackcloth
and ashes. But | say to you, 1t would be
more endurable for Tyre and Sidon in a day
of judgment than for you. And you; Kap.-
harnaum, shall you be exalted to heaven?
You shall be brought down to Hades, for if
the powers which are being wrought in you
had been wrought in Sodom it had remained
till this day. But say to you that it will be
more endurable in the land of Sodom in q
day of judgment than for you."- Neso
Covenant.
The Saviour's language is broken up under
the influence of strong emotion. There are
gaps in its continuity; but the inner connec-
ton of ideas is apparent enough. he as 1t
were says, "The inhabitants of Tyre and
Sidon have not witnessed the mighty works
which We have witnessed. They have not re-
pented of their sins in sackcloth and ashes.
They are moving onward to their melancholy
doom. Nevertheless l say unto you, it shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the
day of judgment than for you.-James Nor
iSon. d. ID.
Capernaum, already prosperous, was cher
ishing like Babylon Isaiah xiv. 49,, arrogant
hopes of unlimited prosperity in future Bot
this expectation is delusive. The result, as
in the case of Babylon, will, on the contrary,
be utter destruction, as the penalty of privi-
leges abused. The contrasted expressions
ssexalted to heaven" and brought down to
Hades," seem here to indicate the temporal
prosperity and destruction of the city, as
they do in the passage of Isaiah from which
the imagery is derived. This destruction
might have been obviated. Capernaum
might have continued to exist and prosper il